[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 171 (Monday, December 31, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8572-S8575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTES TO RETIRING SENATORS
Joe Lieberman
Mr. COATS. Mr. President I wish to thank my friend, my long-time
friend whom I hate to see leave this body, Senator Lieberman from
Connecticut, for his remarks.
I didn't have the opportunity to speak after he gave his farewell
remarks. I do wish to say, before I get into the reason I came down
here--I am happy to see him here so I can say this--it has been a joy
to serve with him over the years.
I am in my second life in the Senate, and during my first life we
served together on the Armed Services Committee. We did a number of
initiatives together on which I was proud to be associated with him,
that I believe strengthened our national economy and our security team
around the world. We worked on school vouchers for DC and a number of
other initiatives affecting the future of our military and other issues
that were of importance to us.
Most important, from my standpoint, we worked together to bring
values that each of us cherish based on our faith. Joe is of the Jewish
faith, and I am of the Christian faith. We discovered on a trip to
Iraq, just after Desert Storm, that we, in talking to each other,
shared our respective faiths and how it affected our lives, how it
affected our families, and how it helped us form decisions we make. Of
course, coming from two different parties, we didn't find agreement on
everything, but we found agreement on a number of things, particularly
those things where we shared common values, where our faith shared
common values and where individually we shared those values.
Under the direction of a rabbi from Chicago we cochaired the Center
for Jewish and Christian Values, bringing
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together Jews and Christians to talk about what they had in common and
what values we could work together on for the betterment of our country
and for the betterment of our society. Too often we bring groups
together of different persuasions to discuss, argue, and debate the
differences. This was different because we brought these groups
together, distinguished leaders from both sides, prominent leaders from
both sides, to set aside those differences and work to find those
values we had in common. It was a joy to participate in that with
Senator Lieberman and to cochair that.
We have remained friends. His contributions to our country, not just
representing a State but representing America around the world, will
long be remembered and will have great impact and effect. We are losing
a real talent, and we are losing a real gentleman. We are losing
someone who is an example of how he conducts himself and is an example
for all of us as to how we ought to conduct ourselves, and we don't
always do that.
But Joe Lieberman has left a lasting impression on me--and I know a
number of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle--and he will be
sorely missed.
One thing I am happy about is that we will continue a lifelong
friendship, and I am looking forward to many more opportunities for
Senator Lieberman to work on matters of interest but will enjoy a
continued sharing of the commonalities of our Judeo-Christian faiths.
Kent Conrad
Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize my colleague
Kent Conrad for his many years of distinguished service and leadership
on behalf of our country and the people of North Dakota. It has been
such an honor for me to serve with Kent as my neighboring Senator these
last 6 years.
I like to kid with Kent that it seems like North Dakota is always in
the middle of some kind of drought or flood or other natural disaster.
There's actually a joke I once told him about how you can spot a
tourist from North Dakota in the middle of a beach in Florida. It's
easy--they are the ones putting all the sand in sandbags.
But jokes aside, Kent has been truly tireless in his work to improve
our current flood prevention measures and to ensure North Dakota has
the tools it needs to prepare for and recover from natural disasters.
As anyone who has worked with him on the Agriculture Committee knows,
he has also been an outstanding advocate for our Nation's farmers,
ranchers, and rural communities. Kent has consistently led efforts to
strengthen the sugar program, which is critical to sugar beet growers
in States like North Dakota and Minnesota. He played a key role in
crafting both the 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills, and he was a driving force
in getting the 2012 Farm Bill drafted and passed out of the Senate on a
strong bipartisan vote in June.
So there is no question that Kent's expertise on farm policy will be
sorely missed. As Congressman Collin Peterson likes to say, ``There are
only 11 people who truly understand how the complex farm payment
programs work. And ten of them are in North Dakota.'' Well, with Kent
retiring I guess there will only be nine.
Whether it's standing up for farmers or fighting floods or saving the
Minot military base, Kent has touched and improved the lives of people
in every corner of North Dakota. At the national level, he has been an
outspoken leader on the issue of debt reduction and has consistently
advocated for policies that benefit the middle class.
It would be impossible to do full justice to Kent's legacy in a
single statement, so instead I will simply say this: North Dakota is
better off because of Kent Conrad's leadership, and so is our country.
Senator, thank you for all of the friendship, wisdom and support you
have shown me over the years. You will be missed, but I know that even
in retirement you will continue to find ways to improve our great
country and work for the people of North Dakota.
Herb Kohl
Mr. President, I wish to recognize my colleague Herb Kohl for his
many years of distinguished service and leadership on behalf of our
country and the people of Wisconsin.
It has been an incredible honor for me to serve with Herb as
neighboring Senators these last 6 years. He is a statesman in the
truest sense of the term, not to mention one of the most genuinely kind
and steadfast public servants of our time. This is the reason he is so
admired in the Senate, and it is how he came to be known as one of the
most beloved and respected public figures in the State of Wisconsin.
Like Herb, my mom was born and raised in Milwaukee. I have many fond
memories of visiting Wisconsin and can personally attest to how loved
and respected Herb Kohl is throughout the State. People know him for
the jobs he created as a businessman. They know him for the scholarship
program created in his name. And of course, they know him for the way
he ``saved basketball'' by keeping the Bucks in Milwaukee. But above
all, people know Herb for his consistent record of putting Wisconsin
first.
From strengthening Wisconsin's manufacturing sector and keeping jobs
in the State to improving the MILC program and better supporting our
dairy farmers, Herb has touched and improved the lives of people across
Wisconsin and throughout the Midwest. At the national level, he has
earned a reputation as a masterful policymaker with a quiet,
commonsense approach to legislating that is the stuff of Senate legend.
But don't be fooled by Herb's even keel.
When it comes to protecting consumers and standing up for the middle
class, few people are as fiercely committed as Herb Kohl. As chair of
the Antitrust Subcommittee, he has been a truly tireless champion for
consumer rights and competition policy. I've seen this firsthand, while
working with him on legislation to crack down on captive shipping in
the rail industry and to restrict the so-called pay-to-delay deals that
keep affordable prescription drugs off the market.
Senator Kohl, it would be impossible to do full justice to your
legacy in a single statement. So instead I will simply say this:
Wisconsin is better off because of your leadership, and so is our
country. Thank you for all of the friendship, wisdom and support you
have shown me over the years. You will be missed, but I know that even
in retirement you will continue to find ways to improve our great
country and work for the people of Wisconsin.
Kay Bailey Hutchison
Mr. President, I wish to recognize my colleague Kay Bailey Hutchison
for her many years of distinguished service and leadership on behalf of
our country and the great State of Texas.
Over the course of her 19 years in the Senate, Kay has earned a
reputation for being one of Washington's hardest-working and most
masterful policy makers. I've seen this firsthand, while working with
her on a number of different issues over the years.
During the debate over Wall Street reform, Kay and I teamed up on
legislation that helped keep the lights on at over 600 community banks
in Minnesota and over 2,000 in the State of Texas. We also worked
together to update and improve our Federal anti-stalking laws, making
it easier for law enforcement to crack down on high-tech predators
using devices like spyware and video surveillance. In both cases, I was
impressed with Kay's ability to reach across the aisle and find
commonsense solutions.
No matter what the issue, Kay has always stood up for the people of
her State. She has been a strong and consistent voice for the people of
Texas, but I also think it's important to recognize her role as a
pioneer for women.
I will never forget a story Kay once told me, about how she was one
of just seven women in her law school class and couldn't find a job at
any of the all-male Houston law firms when she graduated. So instead,
she took a job covering the Texas State Legislature for a local TV
station.
Kay clearly caught the political bug, because it was just a few years
later that she ran for a seat in the Texas House of Representatives.
When she won, she became the first Republican woman ever elected to
that body. She shattered another glass ceiling in 1993, when she became
the first woman to represent Texas in the Senate. It was a milestone
for women everywhere from the Lone Star State to the North Star State.
When I was running for the Senate in Minnesota in 2006, only two
women had run before me and both of them had lost. This came up during
my campaign
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when reporters would ask me, ``Can a woman win in Minnesota?'' My
response? Of course. A woman won in Texas.
So even before I knew Kay personally, I was inspired by her story and
by everything she had accomplished. Senator, thank you for all of the
friendship, wisdom and support you have shown me over the years. You
will be missed, but I know that even in retirement you will continue to
find ways to improve our great country and give back to the people of
the State you love so much.
Ben Nelson
Mr. President, I wish to recognize my colleague Ben Nelson for his
many years of distinguished service and leadership on behalf of our
country and the people of Nebraska.
It has been an honor to serve with Ben over the past 6 years. He is a
true statesman and a champion for the people of Nebraska. During his
time in the Senate, Ben has earned a reputation as a pragmatist who
values problem-solving over partisanship, and I have admired his
sensible, commonsense approach to legislating.
Ben seemed to be destined for public service from an early age,
winning his first election at the age of 17, and he is known for his
consistent record of putting Nebraska first. No matter what the issue,
Ben has always stood up for his State and he has improved the lives of
people across Nebraska. At a national level he has been a strong voice
for fiscal responsibility and shared sacrifice.
Having grown up in a small town in Nebraska, Ben has never forgotten
his roots. While serving on the Senate Agriculture Committee with Ben I
saw firsthand his deep appreciation and respect for the farmers,
outdoorsmen, and rural communities that are vital not just to our
economy but to our way of life in the Midwest.
He was instrumental in crafting both the 2008 and the 2012 Farm Bills
and he has been a clear and consistent advocate for homegrown energy,
leading the way on policies to help our country achieve energy
independence.
He has also been a champion for our men and women in uniform, helping
to ensure that members of the Armed Forces and our veterans receive the
support they need and deserve.
Senator Nelson, it would be impossible to do full justice to your
legacy in a single statement. So instead let me simply say this: The
State of Nebraska is better because of your leadership, and so is our
country. You will be missed in the Senate, but given everything you
accomplished before you were elected--as Governor of Nebraska and as a
successful businessman--I know in your retirement you will continue to
find ways to improve our great country and work for the people of
Nebraska.
Olympia Snowe
Mr. President, I wish to recognize my colleague Olympia Snowe for her
many years of distinguished service and leadership on behalf of our
country and the great State of Maine.
Olympia has long been a friend and mentor to me. In fact, she was
assigned to be my official Republican mentor in the Senate, and she has
been a great one.
That was almost 6 years ago. So much has happened in that time, but
throughout it all I have continued to be impressed with Olympia's
grace, composure and unfailing ability to find commonsense solutions.
Time and again, she has reached across the aisle to put politics aside
and get things done for the good of her State and the country.
In addition to being a voice for bipartisanship, Olympia has earned a
reputation as one of the Senate's most masterful policy makers. I've
seen this firsthand, while working with her on a number of different
issues over the years. Olympia cosponsored my very first major bill in
the Senate ``Carbon Counter'' legislation to reduce carbon emissions
and combat global climate change.
I also had the pleasure of working with her to create an Airline
``Passengers Bill of Rights,'' which was included in the 2011 FAA
reauthorization bill and has led to a significant decrease in tarmac
delays. And we joined forces again this year, on legislation aimed at
addressing sexual assault in our military by improving the process for
tracking and reviewing claims.
Working with Olympia these last 6 years has been an incredible
privilege for me. I've respected her as a policymaker, particularly for
her work on national security and small business issues. I've admired
her for her outspoken leadership and commonsense approach to
legislating. And maybe most importantly, I've genuinely enjoyed her as
a friend and a colleague--for her kindness, for her wisdom, and for her
unfailing good nature.
Olympia has been a truly outstanding voice for the State of Maine and
a great leader for the people of this country. To say that she will be
missed would be a tremendous understatement, but I know she will
continue to find ways to improve our great country and give back to the
State she loves so much. Thank you, Senator Snowe. I wish you the best.
Joe Lieberman
Mr. President, I wish to recognize my colleague Joe Lieberman for his
many years of distinguished service and leadership on behalf of our
country and the people of Connecticut.
Joe will always have a special place in my heart. As many of my
colleagues know, he was actually one of my professors in college. He
gave me one of my first introductions to the political process through
a seminar he taught on the subject of the national political parties.
Interestingly enough, Senator Sherrod Brown also took that same class
just a few years earlier. Even more interesting is the fact that
everyone remembers what grade I got, but no one seems to recall what
grade Sherrod got.
But I digress. Not many political science professors can say they've
taught two concurrently serving U.S. Senators. Joe can, however, and I
think that's an enormous tribute to his character and genuine zest for
public policy. As one of his former students, I made a point of
following his career over the years and always admired his political
courage. But it never occurred to me that I might someday be serving
alongside him in the Senate.
Working with Joe these last 6 years has been an incredible privilege
for me. I've respected him as a policymaker, particularly for his work
on national security and climate change. I've admired him for his
outspoken leadership and commonsense approach to legislating. And maybe
most importantly, I've genuinely enjoyed him as a friend and a
colleague--for his kindness, for his wisdom, and for his famous sense
of humor.
Joe Lieberman has been a truly outstanding voice for the State of
Connecticut and a great leader for the people of this country. To say
that he will be missed would be a tremendous understatement, but I know
he will continue to find ways to improve our great country and give
back to the State he loves so much, even in retirement. Thank you,
Senator Lieberman. I wish you the best.
Jim Webb
Mr. President, I wish to recognize my colleague Jim Webb for his
distinguished service and leadership on behalf of our country and the
people of Virginia.
I will always have a special place in my heart for Jim Webb, and that
is because he and I were members of the same incoming class of Senators
back in 2007. We ran for the Senate at the same time in 2006, and to
this day I will never forget how he wore his son's old combat boots on
the campaign trail. Day in and day out, no matter where he went, no
matter what the weather, Jim was walking tall in those boots.
Since his very first days in office, Jim has been a tireless champion
for our men and women in uniform. On day one, he introduced a 21st
Century GI Bill to deliver the most comprehensive educational benefits
since World War II. It led to legislation that was eventually signed
into law, and it has made it possible for tens of thousands of post-911
troops and veterans to afford a college education.
While Jim is best known for his leadership on defense and military
issues, he has also earned a reputation for being a problem solver who
takes a commonsense, bipartisan approach to legislating. Time and
again, Jim has reached across the aisle to put politics aside and get
things done for the good of the country. He has been a clear and
consistent voice for energy independence and a stalwart advocate for
policies that benefit the middle class. As a
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former prosecutor, I have greatly admired his work to improve our
criminal justice system from top to bottom--not just by strengthening
law enforcement, but by addressing systemic challenges of reentry and
recidivism.
Jim, it would be impossible to do full justice to your legacy in a
single statement. So instead allow me to end by saying this: The
Commonwealth of Virginia is better because of your leadership, and so
is our country.
You will be missed in the Senate, but given everything you
accomplished before you were elected--as Secretary of the Navy, as an
Emmy award-winning journalist, as the author of nine books--I'm
confident you will find some way to occupy your time in retirement. I
know you will continue to find ways to improve our great country and
give back to the State you love so much. Thank you, Senator Webb. I
wish you the best.
Scott Brown
Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I rise to express my gratitude to Scott
Brown, with whom I have enjoyed the privilege of serving for the past 3
years. During that time, Senator Brown and I served together on the
Homeland Security and Government Services Committee, which I have
chaired, as well as the Senate Armed Services Committee, where he and I
have worked closely together as chairman and ranking member.
Senator Brown's life story is a testament to our power to overcome
any obstacle. His aptly titled memoir, ``Against All Odds,'' describes
how despite suffering through a childhood in which he had to steal in
order to help feed his sister and in which he was the victim of abuse,
he rose to attend college and law school, serve in the Army National
Guard, and eventually be elected to the U.S. Senate. Senator Brown
should be a role model to every young American who looks at themselves
in the mirror and wonders whether they can overcome the obstacles in
their path, because he has.
Senator Brown has been an invaluable Member of the Senate and the
committees on which he has served, lending a voice of reason in an ever
more partisan time. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee,
Senator Brown played a critical role in the debate on whether to repeal
the military's don't ask, don't tell policy, grilling witnesses at the
committee's hearings on the issue throughout the year. Senator Brown
was forthright in his view that the law should not be changed until
Congress fully understood any possible risks associated with acting on
the issue, but after he had studied the report issued by the Defense
Department's working group tasked with reviewing the issue, he lent his
strong voice in support of repeal. For that, I am grateful, as are the
tens of thousands of gay and lesbian servicemembers who no longer serve
under the threat of separation because of who they are.
In the 112th Congress, Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on
Airland, he and I were responsible for overseeing the tactical aviation
and land power programs of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
It was a great pleasure working with Scott on these important matters,
and I always benefitted from his experience as a guardsman when
reviewing these programs.
As a member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Committee, Senator Brown fought for and achieved passage of the Stop
Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, STOCK Act, a bill that forbids
Members of Congress and their staffs from profiting in any way from the
information they obtain as part of the job that is not public. It is a
testament to his service in the Senate that one of Scott Brown's most
notable accomplishments was a bill to uphold the standards of the
ethical behavior of Congress. It was an honor to work with Senator
Brown on this important effort.
As ranking member on the Federal Financial Management Subcommittee,
Scott Brown joined his chairman, Tom Carper, along with full committee
ranking member Susan Collins and me to introduce the bipartisan 21st
Century Postal Service Act, which the full Senate endorsed on April 25,
2012. This bill reflected many hours of tough negotiations in which
Scott played a key role, and set out a balanced plan to get the Postal
Service's finances back in order.
Senator Scott Brown has enriched the work of the Senate and the lives
of his colleagues over the past 3 years. He brought to the Senate not
only his considerable talents but a great sense of humor, which was
particularly helpful in the 3 tough years he was here. I wish him and
his family all the best as he opens a new chapter of his own life and
know that he will continue to serve our country in ways that really
matter.
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